Four Captains
by cd11
Summary: Story, it is the point between season 1 and season 2.Jim Kirk and the Enterprise meet up with three other starships whose fates will be intertwined with their year. There is also a cameo appearance of a Star Trek-TNG character. Rated K


_**Four Captains: A Star Trek-The Original Series story. All rights to the characters and backgrounds belong to their creators. Story, it is the point between season 1 and season 2.**_

_**Jim Kirk and the Enterprise meet up with three other starships whose fates will be intertwined with their year. There is also a cameo appearance of a Star Trek-TNG character. Rated K+**_

_**Star base 13: **_

Jim Kirk was sitting in a corner booth in the station's tavern. He was staring off into the void. It had been a very bad few weeks for him. Their last two assignments had brought tragedy to him personally. On Deneva, the Enterprise had prevented the creature that had been causing madness from moving further into the Federation but it was at the cost of his brother and sister-in-law. They had managed to settle his nephew Peter, back on Earth, but the boy had a lot to adjust to.

He still could not get Edith Keeler out of his mind. He stopped McCoy from saving her life when they were back in time. He could not get the expression of her face out of his mind.

He had hit the service button for another drink and waited. As the glass was sat in front of him. Kirk noticed that the waiter's sleeve was command gold with Captain's stripes just like his.

Kirk looked up and saw Captain Ron Tracy of the Star ship Exeter, looking down at him." I seen to remember teaching you Jim, that it's never good to drink alone." he said.

Kirk stood up and shook hands with his fellow captain. "It's been a long time, Ron." Kirk said "You look good."

"You look like you've been to the wars, Jim." Tracy replied. "You all right?"

Kirk sighed "Been a bad couple of missions" Both men sat down. "I heard about your family, Jim sorry for your loss."

"Thanks Ron." I sent their boy back home." Kirk said "He's going to have a hard time." Tracy nodded sadly "Yeah, I know. My niece was in the same boat, a few years back." Kirk thought for a minute. "Isn't she the communications officer on the Yorktown?"

"She was." Tracy replied. "Now she's running the board for Bob Wesley on the Lexington." Kirk smiled at that "Starfleet all the way." "Amen" Tracy said as they clinked glasses.

Nodding to the empty glasses, "Sail again?" Tracy asked. Kirk said "Sure why not." A voice from around the corner called to them. "Need some company, gentlemen?" Kirk and Tracy looked round to see two more officers wearing command gold walking toward them. "My lord, the brass is checking in." Tracy chuckled. "And the same to you too, Ron." Commodore Matt Decker of the Constellation said as he shook Tracy's hand. Decker turned and shook Kirk's hand as well. "How are things on the Enterprise, Jim?" Kirk said "It's been busy the last few weeks."

Another voice spoke up; "That sounds normal for you Jim." Commodore Bob Wesley from the U.S.S Lexington walked over with glasses and several bottles in hand. The four captains finished exchanging greetings and sat down together.

Bob Wesley looked around; "Things are jumping here tonight." He observed. Kirk spoke "I imagine that it's been some time since four starships have been here at the same time."

"Hmmm..." Decker though, "I wonder what our dear friends from the Klingons empire are thinking about this concentration?"

"They are not saying, Matt they're doing." Tracy said. "They have three of their modified D-7a battle cruisers on the other side of the Neutral Zone. I had two of them pacing me as we came into the sector."

Kirk asked "Is that why the Hood and Yorktown are in sector too?"

"That's right" Wesley said. "We are sending a message to our friends on the other side of the border. We're not going to be here for long."

Then Decker finished for him; "But they don't know that."

"I know." Tracy commented. "We got our orders just this afternoon. Survey and mapping in Sector K-554. "Turning to Wesley. "Didn't Lexington do the initial sweep out there?"

"Yeah, about six months ago." He replied. "The Lexington is doing some research work in this sector for the next nine months." Grinning at Ron Tracy "Or as my communications officer would say "Yippee!" Tracy laughed "How's Laura doing anyways?"

"She's doing well." Wesley assured him. "She's a good girl, and a good officer, she's doing you proud, Ron."

"Well we're off to sector L-300 sector." Decker said, tuning to Kirk. "That's the one the Enterprise mapped last year, wasn't it Jim?"

"Yes it was." Kirk replied. "There were a few planets out there that were rich in minerals, especially in the L-370 sector. We actually ran into some colonies form Earth that made it out there from the earliest colony ships from the 22nd century. It should keep you busy for a while Matt."

"Where's the Enterprise off to?" Decker asked.

"Sectors H-440 and 442. Mapping and exploration, after some personnel issues are settled." Kirk said.

Decker and Tracy were surprised, Wesley was not, he had a discussion with Starfleet Command about what Jim was about to say.

"I'm not sure who's going to be sitting in the center seat when Enterprise pulls out in a week, me or Spock."

"Everyone needs a break now and then, Jim" Decker told him. "You lost most of your family for God sakes. That would take the wind out of anyone."

"What would you do, teach the youngsters at the academy?" Tracy asked. "Or maybe get one of the new starships coming online. I hear that the Intrepid and Defiance are doing trials runs now."

"I really don't know." Kirk said. "It's just been a long run between missions."

Wesley considered James Kirk for a moment before he spoke. "You have had a long year Jim, all of us have. But you and the Enterprise have been in the thick of it. You had the run-in with the Romulans on the Neutral Zone." This took Decker by surprise. He had heard that a starship had engaged a Romulan intruder, but he did not realize that Enterprise was the ship involved. "If you remember at the academy, I always said the center seat was never easy."

Kirk said with a smile "How could I forget. You usually said it at least once every lecture." Tracy snorted "You still say it Bob." Wesley shrugged "Nothing but the truth."

Any further conversation was ended when the sounds of raucous cheers echoed through the tavern.

The bar tender stood on the bar and whistled for attention. "Attention one and all. The helm/navigation contest has been decided. The winning ship is the U.S.S Enterprise with a score of 1700 points. The U.S.S. Constellation was second with 1694 points and last years champs the U.S.S Exeter were third with 1690 points. Drinks are on the house." She said.

"Well done gentlemen." Wesley said. "They rotate my helm and navigator so often; they never get a chance to get comfortable."

"Just out of curiosity Jim." Decker asked "who's your navigator these days?"

"A new boy fresh from the academy." Kirk said. "Name of Pavel Chekov. I'm having Spock train him for Science officer as well. Seem to be handling both jobs well."

"You need to think it over Jim." Bob Wesley told him. "Just give it some thought."

Jim nodded "Sure Bob. I consider it." Sounds of cheering as a group of starship crewmen came into the tavern. The four captains turned round. They all could recognize most the people from their ships. Matt Decker could see Jay Francis and Jimmy Ray Dunn from the Constellation, Tracy could make out some of his kids, so could Wesley. Kirk could see Lts. Sulu and Uhura, and the new kid Chekov. He even saw Scotty among them." The bartender walked over to the table where the four captains sat. She asked "Everyone good here?" All four men smiled and nodded. "A picture gentlemen? They looked to one another. "Sure" Decker said. The bartender took the shot and smiled. "This will go on our wall of fame." She said proudly.

"Send us copies too, if it's no trouble." Tracy asked.

"No trouble at all, gentlemen." She replied.

"What's your name by the way?" Kirk asked "You have been good to us star pirates tonight." Everyone at the table laughed.

"Thank you, Captain Kirk." She said. "My name is Guinan. And it was my pleasure to have you as my guests." she walked back through the crowd. "Well gentlemen." Decker asked "Want to go join our kids?" The looks from the other three officers said of course and the four starship commanders joined and celebrated with their crews all through the night.

As the years have passed; Guinan often looked at the picture of the four star ship captains on the wall in Ten-Forward and contemplated the fate of these four men of the course of the following year.

Captain Ron Tracy was to lose the Exeter due to the virus that was to kill his entire crew. He would be disgraced and end up in a Federation prison, because he violated the prime directive, and killed a security officer from the Enterprise.

Commodore Matt Decker would lose his ship and crew, and his life to the monster ship called the Doomsday Machine.

Commodore Bob Wesley and the Lexington would survive the year. He would be involved with the M-5 multi-tronic computer program, and be lucky enough to survive the disaster that the program eventually spawned.

And finally James Kirk would retain command of the Enterprise. His year would be intertwined with the fates of his other three captains that year, and both he and the Enterprise would go on to become legends.

_**Fins**_


End file.
